Mustangs score three in third, edge Hounds

WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Eastern New Mexico University’s softball team caught Midwestern State on the schedule at just the wrong time – and the wrong place.

The Mustangs (8-31, 7-23), 13th in the 15-team Lone Star Conference and 5 ½ games behind ENMU coming into the series, kept the Greyhounds (21-24, 13-20) in 12th place with a 3-2 victory on Friday in the rubber match of the three-game series.

The top 10 teams advance to the LSC tournament in early May. ENMU lost Thursday’s doubleheader opener 6-5 in 11 innings before salvaging the second game 7-3.

Sophomore right fielder Madisen Mann capped a three-run third with a two-run homer, her third of the season, off ENMU starter Brook Leger (10-7). The Hounds promptly cut the lead to one with a pair of runs in the fourth, but sophomore right-hander Zoe Isom (3-5) kept them off the board the rest of the way.

Midwestern State has warmed up a bit late in the season. The Mustangs have now won five of their last eight games, including their last two series at home, while Isom has won her last three starts at Mustangs Park, all on complete games.

For the season, the Mustangs are 7-11 at home and just 1-20 in road and neutral contests.

A walk and a double put Mustangs runners in scoring position with no one out in the third, and the first run scored on one of four ENMU errors. Catcher Alondra Vasquez then threw out MSU’s Sydney Shimkus trying to steal second and Leger fanned Jessika Roberts before Mann launched her third homer of the season over the barrier in left for a 3-0 lead.

ENMU closed the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth when junior Valaria Contreras stole home on the back end of a double steal with Leger, and freshman center fielder Katelyn Cifuentes drilled a single to left to bring in Leger.

Isom finished with a seven-hitter, two walks and a season-high six strikeouts. Leger, who took her second loss of the series, and reliever Taylor Harrison combined on a three-hitter, but it wasn’t enough.

Six players had hits for ENMU, led by Contreras with 2-for-3.

ENMU has three conference series remaining, beginning with a midweek set against the team right in front of them, Texas Woman’s (20-20, 12-18). The sides were to meet in a twin bill on Tuesday and a noon single contest on Wednesday.

This weekend, the Hounds travel to Oklahoma Christian for a series starting on Saturday.